Sweater Weather

I’m not sure about you but I’m seriously so cold during the winter that I’m constantly wearing a sweater. I know some of you ladies are nodding your head, agreeing with me right now. Guys, I’m not sure why your body temperature is ten degrees warmer than ours, but good for you. I’m always cold. If I could shower in a sweater, I think I would. So if you wear them as much as I do, you’re going to need to know how to maintain your sweaters. Luckily Valet Magazine put out a guide to sweater maintenance and I’m here to summarize it for you:

De-Fuzzing: to get rid of pilling, get yourself a sweater stone that pulls the little guys from the threads, but leaves a smooth finish on the sweater.

Snags: fix a snag or loose thread by turning it sweater inside out and using a pin to pull the thread back into the inside of the sweater. Then knot the yarn close to the fabric and trim the excess.

Soften: Yes, there’s a way to fix the scratchiness of a sweater!! I wasn’t too far off when I said I wanted to take my sweater into the shower…

First hand-wash the sweater by filling your sink or bathtub 3/4 of the way with cold water. If you don’t have Woolite, add two spoonfuls of regular hair shampoo, stir, then immerse your sweaters into the water. Let it soak for 5 minutes. Swish around and work the suds through the fabric. Drain the water and rise with cool water to remove suds. Ball sweater slightly and then press out excess water.

Then, fill the tub halfway with lukewarm water and mix in two or three tablespoons of high-quality hair conditioner. Submerge the wool sweater for at least 30 minutes. Rinse the sweater throughly and once clean, lay onto a clean towel and roll up, pressing out the excess water. Unroll, smooth out any weird lines and wrinkles, and shift the sweater back into shape. Lay flat to dry completely.

Take good care of your sweaters and they’ll keep you warm and take care of you during these chilly months! If you’re lacking, A.K. Rikk’s has some terrific sweaters, men’s and women’s, that will definitely keep you cozy!

** UPDATE **

Thanks to Mary in Battle Creek, a “fiber artist and knitter,” we’ve recently learned that Woolite can remove color from some fibers and sweaters. She recommends using Soak or Eucalan for more delicate fibers. Thanks, Mary!